


Earth, Croydon, 1976

by sleepismyfriend



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Ficlet, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-20
Updated: 2011-03-20
Packaged: 2017-10-17 04:17:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/172813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepismyfriend/pseuds/sleepismyfriend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Time Lords and their rules could reign supreme some other day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Earth, Croydon, 1976

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spydurwebb](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Spydurwebb).



> The prompt was Sarah meeting Leela while Leela was traveling with the Doctor.

Sarah's used to listening for the TARDIS. It's what she does while she's trying to accomplish the most mundane of things, like buttering toast or taking out the trash. As weeks pass without any word of the Doctor or his mission on Gallifrey, she finds it consuming her thoughts more and more, like a tick bordering on obsession.

She doesn't like waiting around.

The Brigadier tries to keep her busy at first, suggesting that she follow through on a few smaller UNIT cases with Benton and Yates that he doesn't mind declassifying for the public. She suspects he's feeling sorry for her, and her suspicions become true when she overhears him on the phone one day. The Doctor's taught her well about the art of eavesdropping.

"He's never left anyone like this before, Lizzie. Miss Grant left on her own accord, but not Miss Smith. I think she would have stayed with him forever if he'd let her."

She doesn't return to UNIT after that, giving her apologies to both the Brigadier and then Harry. Harry tries to chase after her, to stop her in the parking lot before the hot tears have a chance to fall down her flushed cheeks. He holds her face between both hands, flexing the newfound boundary of her soft skin under his fingers. It's something he's always dreamt of, but never had the courage to try until now.

"I've tried to tell you how much you mean to me, Sarah—" It's all Harry can say before Sarah turns, unwilling to listen. There's too much history between them; it would never work. Harry's not the Doctor, and she doesn't want him to depend on her for something she knows she can't give.

When Sarah shows up on Lavinia's doorstep, carrying her small travel case and a typewriter, Lavinia doesn't turn her away. She sets her niece up in the spare room, noticing the demure melancholy that seems to have settled in Sarah's bones, and tells her that she can stay as long as she likes. Clutching her stuffed owl, Sarah is grateful for the reprieve of questions as her aunt leaves her to her thoughts.

Here, in the quiet of the spare room, Sarah hears the noise her ears seemed programmed to tune into. It isn't audible at first, but then grows in strength and speed and she looks out the window to see the TARDIS materializing below.

She's never felt the hope in her chest explode in such rapid surefire bursts before, and the sensation throws her as she darts out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door. The owl is forgotten, staring out into space from its random spot on the bed.

Sarah doesn't _think_ , but instead _reacts_ as the Doctor steps out of the TARDIS, and her arms reach for any part of him that she can grab and wrap around. The Doctor is quick to shift so that her head touches his chest, and she's glad that he doesn't pull away.

"Oh, my Sarah, you didn't forget." The Doctor's chin sits on top of her head, his grin widening, as his hand reaches up to stroke the back of her hair, once, twice, three times before she pulls back, the tears falling as she recognizes that wide-eyed grin of his.

There are no words. As her hands tangle in his scarf, Sarah shakes her head no, her teeth grazing her bottom lip in an attempt to not bite down and smile at the same time because they both know she's missed him more than anything.

"Doctor, what primitive planet—" Leela no more steps out of the TARDIS that Sarah's joy bursts again, this time in the opposite direction as she sees the one thing that has haunted her dreams. Leela's skimpy leather clothes are a far cry from human, or any species for that matter, but that doesn't stop Sarah from feeling the pains of being replaced.

The Doctor doesn't miss a beat as Sarah pulls away completely.

"Sarah, this is Leela, from the Sevateem." He pauses, reaching for Sarah's hand as if he expects Sarah to combust into several angry pieces that he'll pick up again. "Leela, this is Sarah Jane Smith. Sarah Jane and I used to travel together."

The two women eye each other, holding their weight against the air before pulling back and collecting their perspectives.

"This is your woman, yes? She is beautiful, but young." Leela looks to the Doctor but motions to Sarah, and Sarah doesn't know whether to be embarrassed or flattered. She's certainly never been anyone's anything, but somehow, she doesn't feel as offended as she thinks she should. Leela's eyes fall to Sarah once more.

"Not as young as—" Sarah exhales, trying not the let the frog in her throat jump.

"Maybe you and I should catch up, Sarah," the Doctor says, and Sarah looks to him, his gaze trying to reassure her of so many things that she's not quite sure she believes. She turns, dropping his hand only long enough to pick it up again as the Doctor looks to Leela. "Stay in the TARDIS if you like. If not, stay close, and out of trouble."

The Doctor and Sarah walk off as Leela shakes her head, and reenters the TARDIS. Sometimes, trouble is not worth as much as anyone thinks. Sarah knows this firsthand, but doesn't say anything, just continues to walk along side him as his eyes stare out into the space in front of him.

"It's a beautiful day, for Croydon at any rate." The Doctor's fingers shift and push in-between Sarah's and Sarah does her best not to blush. Their gait is slower than she expected, but she doesn't mind simply because he's here.

"Yes, well, certainly nothing like Gallifrey." She finds herself asking, and the Doctor doesn't answer, but stops walking. Sarah tugs on his hand, trying to get his attention when it appears that the focus in his eyes is fading. "Doctor? Is everything alright?"

"Gallifrey was a long time ago, Sarah."

"Only eight weeks or so. Not really very long. I was worried you'd never come back." Sarah's breath catches as he turns to face her. She hasn't seen such a serious expression from him before, except for possibly in Antarctica when it was directed at Scorby and that was a while ago.

"Fifty years." He whispers, and Sarah shakes her head. After he doesn't deny his statement, she looks away.

"Fifty years?" There is strength in her voice, strength she didn't know she possessed as the Doctor nods, his guilt building as Sarah's eyes return to him and her voice lowers. "Why so long?"

"The reasons aren't important." The Doctor's fingers reach up and brush a stray piece of Sarah's hair away from her face as she tilted her head to one side. "I just need to know you're not angry about it."

The tears prick Sarah's eyes, but don't fall as she tries to remember to breathe. She does the next best thing, leaning forward to place a kiss on the Doctor's cheek as the Doctor's eyes close and she feels his breath upon her ear before taking a moderate step back.

"If you stayed away, you had a good reason. I may not like it, but it's still a reason nonetheless." Sarah steps back enough that her hands sit on both of her hips as she studies him for the first time. "Don't look so guilty. You've come back and I'm all right. Isn't that what's important?"

As he stares at her, the Doctor feels Sarah's sudden smile resonate through him, and the effect of having her real smile versus the thousands of recalled ones in his memory was much more potent. He nods his head in reply as he thinks of the Time Lords, only to banish them from his thoughts. The Time Lords and their rules could reign supreme some other day.

"Doesn't surprise me that you found someone to travel with you after staying away so long." Sarah takes his hand and turns back towards the direction of Lavinia's and the TARDIS. "Leela, isn't it?"

"Yes." The Doctor scratches his cheek with his free hand as they start to walk. "She's no you, of course, but a fairly worthy companion."

"I wouldn't expect you to travel with anyone who wasn't worthy, Doctor." Sarah's laugh throws the Doctor's off-guard as he smiles, more relieved than anything else. "Except where on Earth did she get the idea that I was your woman? I have been many things, but never that—"

"Well, you see, Sarah, it all started when—" The Doctor starts to tell the specific story when a blood-curdling scream directs their eyes towards Lavinia's house. Sarah's heart drops. Something bad can't have happened. The Doctor hasn't been here long enough, yet.

"Aunt Lavinia—" Sarah says, almost as if it's instinctual that she knows her aunt's scream by heart. She runs towards the house, her speed increasing as the Doctor follows behind. Leela pops out of the TARDIS with her knife poised for action as Sarah enters her aunt's home.

"Must you always be so savage?" The Doctor merely makes a face, not giving Leela any room to comment as he goes after Sarah. Leela sighs and puts the knife in its holster before trailing behind.


End file.
